2003 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

r.i CITY OF PARIS UTILITIES DEPARTMENT WATER TREATMENT PLANT TWO PERSONNEL ON SHIFT AFTER HOURS AND WEEKENDS THE TREATMENT PLANT MUST BE MANNED ANYTIME WATER IS BEING TREATED BY A "C" CERTIFIED OPERATOR OR GREATER. AT PRESENT, THE PARIS PLANT MUST BE IN OPERATION 24 HOURS A DAY, 365 DAYS A YEAR, IN ORDER TO MEET DEMAND OR INSURE ADEQUATE STORAGE. IT TAKES ONE YEAR OF HANDS -ON EXPERIENCE AND ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND PASSING A STATE TEST TO BECOME A "C" CERTIFIED OPERATOR. THE LAW ALSO SAYS THE PARIS PLANT MUST ALSO EMPLOY AT LEAST ONE "B" CERTIFIED OPERATOR. IN THE PAST EIGHTEEN YEARS THE CITY OF PARIS HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO ATTRACT OR RECRUIT ANY `B" CERTIFIED OR HIGHER CERTIFIED OPERATORS TO THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT. ALL HAVE BEEN TRAINED HERE ON SITE. IN ORDER TO INSURE THAT ALL WATER QUALITY STATE MANDATES ARE MAINTAINED, OPERATORS COLLECT OVER 167,000 SAMPLES FOR ANALYSIS AND RUN MORE THAN 250,000 ANALYSES PER YEAR. EVERY HOUR OPERATORS COLLECT A SERIES OF SAMPLES FROM VARIOUS PARTS OF THE PLANT AND SOME SAMPLES MUST BE COLLECTED OFF -SITE DAILY. WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY PUBLIC NOTIFICATION OF NON - COMPLIANCE OR FINES TO THIS DATE. FOR EXAMPLE ON SATURADAY, DECEMBER 7'2002, A 20" WATER MAIN RUPTURED. HAD THERE NOT BEEN TWO CERTIFIED WATER PLANT OPERATORS ON SHIFT DURING THAT TIME, THE CITY OF PARIS WATER TREATMENT PLANT WOULD HAVE BEEN FORCED TO ANNOUNCE A PUBLIC NOTIFICATION TO BOIL WATER DUE TO LOW DISTRIBUTION PRESSURE. WATER PLANT PERSONNEL ALSO RECEIVE ALL CALLS FROM THE RACO SCADA SYSTEM WHICH SERVE PRIMARILY WASTEWATER LIFT STATIONS. THE OPERATOR MUST READ THE CALL, WHICH IS 20 LINES OF INFORMATION, AND INTERPRET WHAT ACTION MUST BE TAKEN, IF ANY. ALARM CALLS REQUIRE THE DISPATCHING OF LIFT STATION PERSONNEL. WHEN ANY CONDITION CHANGES AT THE LIFT STATION, THE OPERATOR MUST AGAIN CONTACT LIFT STATION PERSONNEL. MANY OF THESE ARE FOR LOST POWER. AFTER LIFT STATION PERSONNEL HAVE CONFIRMED THIS SITUTATION, THE WATER PLANT OPERATOR MUST CONTACT THE POWER PROVIDER AND ARRANGE FOR REPAIRS. FREQUENTLY, A LOSS OF POWER AFFECTING THE LIFT STATIONS CREATES A POWER OUTAGE OVER A LARGE AREA OF THE POWER GRID AND RESULTS IN A LOSS OF POWER AT GROUND STORAGE, PAT MAYSE PUMP STATION, AND /OR THE TREATMENT PLANT. THE OPERATORS MUST CONTEND WITH THESE PROBLEMS IN ADDITION TO DISPATCHING FOR THE LIFT STATIONS. THE OPERATORS MUST